From two South Florida stages, candidates for governor, U.S. Senate make closing pitches
The top four candidates on Floridians’ ballots gave their closing message to voters on Monday evening in South Florida, a region that has received outsized attention from both parties in an election that Republicans view as their first opportunity to flip Miami-Dade County in two decades.
From deep-red Hialeah, Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared with U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and other Florida Republicans in front of a few hundred voters, while his Democratic opponent Charlie Crist campaigned with Senate candidate U.S. Rep. Val Demings in neighboring Broward County, a Democratic stronghold. Going into Election Day, Republicans held an advantage over Democrats in both voter registration numbers and ballots cast.
“We’re looking forward to a great day tomorrow in Miami-Dade County,” DeSantis, who was losing his voice, said from the stage at the Hialeah Park Clubhouse. “In Florida, we held the line for you, your families, your jobs, your businesses. ... Now, I mean, there’s more jobs than people can fill because the economy’s done so well down here. We can’t take everybody who has to flee a bad state.”
In Miami-Dade alone, about 180,000 Republicans and 174,000 Democrats had voted either by mail or in person by Sunday evening, according to the county elections department. Another 112,000 ballots were cast by voters who either have no party affiliation or are registered to minor parties.
Mail ballots will be considered valid as long as they arrive at the county elections headquarters by 7 p.m. on Election Day. But Republican voters showed up in big numbers at early voting centers. Over 2 million Republican and 1.75 million Democratic votes had been tallied at the state level by Monday morning.
“There’s more Republicans than Democrats ... but it won’t matter if we don’t turn out and vote. They convince you to stay home, that’s how they win, that’s how they make it closer than it needs to be,” Rubio said. “The only surprise I want to hear about tomorrow is, ‘I can’t believe Republicans won by that much.’ ... Because we have to send a message.”
Fabio Fabbiani, a Miami Lakes resident who went to DeSantis’ rally, said he liked the Republican governor’s policies that were supportive of Florida’s small businesses.
“People are unhappy,” said Fabbiani, 46, who is a business owner. “You can feel that in the streets when you speak with people. A lot of people I know, particularly those who were Democrats, are migrating to the Republican Party. They’re unhappy with the current situation.”
Earlier in the day, local Republican leaders held a press conference in Hialeah City Hall to commemorate the first Victims of Communism Day in Florida. The day, established by the state Legislature this year, requires all U.S. government teachers in Florida public schools to lead a lesson on communist leaders and the evils of communism — a political ideology Republicans have speciously accused Democrats of promoting.
DeSantis signed the new law in May inside the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami, alongside local exile leaders from countries under leftist regimes like Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
“We will never be silent and we will always speak out, whether it’s 90 miles away or thousands of miles away,” Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, who is Cuban American, said in Hialeah. “We have a responsibility to protect our liberties. That’s something that the governor has consistently done throughout his past four years and we have a commitment to teaching our children.”
Alex Otaola, a Cuban-American YouTube influencer and conservative activist who campaigned with DeSantis on Monday night, said DeSantis’ appearance in Hialeah on Victims of Communism Day was a symbol of his support for Latinos.
“It’s one more show of support for our community,” Otaola said.
Crist and Demings, meanwhile, held a dueling campaign rally at the same time inside a ballroom of The Venue in Wilton Manors, where about 100 people showed up in support. Taking the stage with his fiancée, Chelsea Grimes, Crist said this will be her first election as a Florida voter.
“If we win by one, it’s her,” he quipped.
Crist slammed DeSantis over what he said were policies under his government that have made it harder for people of color to vote, for women to access abortions and for struggling teachers to make a living.
“As you know, it’s been a nightmare under this governor,” he said. “Florida deserves better. Florida’s women deserve better.”
Alluding to the flights of Venezuelan migrants taken to Martha’s Vineyard, an action financed by the DeSantis administration, Crist said the race comes down to respecting the people of Florida and humanity.
“The sunshine will come back to the Sunshine State,” he said.
As Demings walked onto the stage, the crowd roared.
“Florida can do better,” she shouted back. “We are fighting for the very soul of our nation. ... We’re fighting to continue to make sure that the American dream can still come true.”
In her closing message, Demings told voters everything was on the ballot on Tuesday, including inflation, affordable health care, public education, climate change and abortion.
“Too many people have worked, too many people have suffered and died for the rights that we enjoy,” she said. “We’re not going back.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2022 at 8:46 PM.
